How to make your own holiday cards

Maria Mora is a freelance writer and single mom fueled by coffee, questionable time management skills, toaster oven waffles and the color orange. She lives in Florida with her two young sons. If you see her on Twitter, tell her to stop p...

Craft festive cards this season

Ready to impress your friends and family this holiday season? Make your own holiday cards. It’s easier than you think to craft unique cards. Try these simple steps.

Step 1: Gather your materials

The base of your holiday cards should be a heavy card stock paper that mails well and will stand up when displayed. Choose a neutral cream or pale color as your base. Stock up on embellishments in the scrapbooking area of your local arts and crafts store. Stick to a theme, such as snowmen or a particular color scheme, so that you don’t go overboard buying your materials. Here are some materials you may need:

Ribbons

Stickers

Colored paper

Card stock

Cardboard embellishments

Glitter

Craft markers

Craft glue

Step 2: Photograph your family

Crafting your own cards don’t mean forgoing a holiday family photo. Print your own holiday photo and cut it out using craft scissors to make it a part of your homemade holiday card design. Unless you’re a pro, it’s very tricky to get a good shot inside in front of the Christmas tree; to get a great holiday photo, shoot outdoors in natural lighting. Take far more pictures than you need so you have plenty to choose from. Print them at home or send them to your local photo printer for inexpensive copies.

Step 3: Get crafting

Create one template card to work from and use it as a reference as you make the rest. Look at cards online for inspiration. Give yourself several evenings to finish your holiday cards. Use a paper trimmer to cut your cardstock to uniform sizes. You may need to pause overnight a few times to let embellishments or glued paper and photos dry before you continue. If you’re not happy with your own handwriting, print messages on colored paper with festive fonts. You can give each card a slightly different look or make them all identical.

Step 4: Mail your cards

Unless you plan on delivering every card by hand, keep in mind that cards need to be thin and light enough to send in the mail without incurring additional charges. Buy blank envelopes suited to the card size you’ve chosen or try this handmade envelope tutorial. Enlist a friend with great handwriting to address the cards if you need help. (A bottle of wine makes a great bribe.) You can also use your printer to print labels for your cards.